Thursday 19 June 2025
What a week at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly as the semi-finalists of the third edition of the Polo Nations Cup were decided! At the end of the qualifying matches, six of the eight teams finished with the same track record (two wins and one loss) forcing a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, polo’s equivalent of football’s penalty kicks.
After this tense round, Australia and Switzerland were eliminated, leaving the final four spots to teams from Argentina, the French regions of PACA and Occitanie as well as Paris.
Occitanie pulled off quite a comeback to keep their hopes of defending the title alive after an earlier loss to Switzerland. To stay in the race, they had to beat Great Britain on Wednesday and they did so in style with a convincing 8-1 victory: “A real team effort, lots of focus, the boys all played very well with calm, patience, and a positive attitude,” said captain Isabelle Larenaudie. “Elouan Badarello, our young French talent, was outstanding and fully deserved his MVP title. The loss against Switzerland was tough, but it helped us bounce back.”
In the semi-finals, Occitanie will face Paris, a team they defeated in the preparatory tournament. However, Paris now features Santiago Marambio, stepping in for the injured Tete Fanelli. “We’ve adjusted our strategy to this new lineup, but we’re approaching the match with confidence and aiming to maintain our strong team dynamic,” added Larenaudie.
The other semi-final will see a true France vs. Argentina clash. The PACA team, first edition’s winners, is made up of four 100% French players: Jean-Claude Le Grand, Julien Reynes, Édouard Pan, and Louis Jarrige, who is currently the tournament’s third top scorer. They’ll go head-to-head with the second-best scorer so far, Argentina’s top name in Chantilly: Matias Torres Zavaleta, the cornerstone of the La Berta team representing the Albiceleste.
No matter the outcome, at least one French team will feature in Sunday’s final – a major satisfaction in a tournament where the foreign teams certainly lived up to expectations.
“The Polo Nations Cup is a highly competitive tournament,” confirmed Isabelle Larenaudie. “There are only good teams, and I think in the future it deserves to be played over three weeks.”
A Grand Finale Ahead
The tournament will wrap up (too soon!) this Sunday with a day of festivities: village stands, food trucks, entertainment, and the final of the Mini Polo Nations Cup featuring the players’ children on ponies, focused and serious like pros. Not to mention the very first Ladies Polo Nations Cup, which kicked off on Wednesday, with the two finalists to be determined this Friday from among the six participating teams.
Whether it’s Friday’s semi-finals and the women’s tournament showdown, or Sunday’s finals, this top-level sporting event is open to all: admission is free!
The Semi-Final Line-Up
Friday, June 20 – 11:00 AM*
PACA: Jean-Claude Le Grand (0), Julien Reynes (4), Édouard Pan (4), Louis Jarrige (4)
Argentina: Bruno Bensoussan (0), Tomas Oviedo (2), Juan Cruz Araya (3), Matias Torres Zavaleta (7)
Friday, June 20 – Time 13:00 AM*
Occitanie: Isabelle Larenaudie (0), Elouan Badarello (2), Simon Zavaleta (6), Ramiro Zavaleta (4)
Paris: Françoise Okala (0), Martin Ferrari (2), Gaston Beguerie (5), Santiago Marambio (5)
*Timetables are subject to change depending on weather conditions. Consult this link for updated timetables
Practical information
Live coverage on Pololine TV
Schedule and results on Chukker App and at www.poloclubchantilly.com